The Memphis appeal. [volume] (Memphis, Tenn.) 1886-1890, 1887-12-25

III Ntillhk " hhll-
w ia Claus, answered the
"waiting for Santa Claus laughed the
old clock; "why, you don't suppose Santa
Claus is going to bring you anything, do
your"
81 need it bad enough" said the Jump
ing jack; 81 fell into the wash-basin three
weeks ago and by the time | was pulled
out and dried | lost all the beautiful red
stripes and yellow buttons off my coat,
and this left eye Of mine faded from Il
lovely purple into q dirty lavender. |
have been tho sickest julnping-jack in
town ever since"
ooh, pshawl" said the old clock; 'hand-
some is that handsome does; tick-tock!'
"But | shall be all right in the NORM
ing" said the jumping-jack, 'ior my little
mistress Bertha put me here by the fire to-
night and whispered up the chimney:
please, Santa Claus, bring a now eye and
q new suit Of clothes for jumping jack.
and please, Santa Claus, bring me u nice,
big box OF candy"
80 you like Bertha, do you?" asked the
old clock.
"No, not yerymuch," said the jumping
jack; "she dropped me in the wash-basin,
you know, and then, too, she makes me
Jump when ! don't want 10. Last week
she pulled me 80 hard that the string
broke"
"Sque-ea -ea-eakl" said another small
voice, and the little blue mouse pceped
out from under the wardrobe. "Squea-
ea-eaN and l don't like Bertha, either!".
she said.
"1ick-tock, Textbook" said the old
clock, ''and why don't you like Bertha,
Mistress Blue Mousse"
"Shc frightcns inc" answered the little
blue mouse, 'and she pels that horrid old
cat. No, | could never like a child that
keeps such bad company. Depend upon
il, no child that keeps company with a cat
ever came to any good cnd-squea-ca-ea-
cakl"
Now, while the old clock and the jump
ingjack and the little blue mouse talked
together, Bertha lay fast asleep in her crib,
and the old clock aud the j~umpingjack
and the little blue mouse were still talking
and Bertha was still ilS, asleep when there
came the sound Of sleigh bells and then
the noise OF some one slipping down the
chimney.
But instead Of Santa Claus there came
out Of the chimney aud stood on the hearth
a very tat and very sleepy looking hoy.
re wore fur clothes aud a fur cap, and the
frst thing he did WIS to yavn.
"lou'rc notSanta Claus, are your asked
the jumping-iack.
"Of course he isn'l' said the old clock.
81 know Santa Claus, Tor I've seen HIN
twenty timCs3'
"N6. Pm Santa Claus boy said the
lboy, aud then lac yawncd again, iorhc "'s
worry sleepy.
this time OF night" asked the jumping
jack.
"whv. father wa- - busy" said tho
| Low. .'l,at lac sar down here with this
| box OF candy n b 1oy II paints. uus
| Of them is for-ic. rpV-hc sid Ia give
| the candy TO a.. ju~mping-iack, and no,
| that wasn't ~ | ann Ia paint Berth. mo-
| I'm sure | d0~n'trcmcmber what he dill tell
me 10 do, but here is the candy and here
are the paints
You see he had forgotten all about
what lac camc Tor. Wasn't that Just hkc a
boy?
Just then a wicked thought came IN tho
iumpiug.iack lilo winkcd his one eye ut
the little blue mouse, ~ much rs To Nly,
You help me ont Oi this story and u
make Il all right with you" Then tho
iumping.iack said 10 the 10y, 81 know all
about this. and | will tell you what to dc.
Tho box al candy l. Tor me, aud you are 10
paint Berlin. You'll find her IN the cnb
over there. Put some red stripes and yell
low buttons on her, and don't forget to
ave her a new purple lcit eye.
That's right" s~qucakcd the little blue
mouse.
The old clock was 80 surprised that 1t
could only say "uck-toCk, uckiorki uNcII
and over again, and thc-n "uck.ipcks
were 20 sad that team OF sornow hllcd inc
ewes Of the needles in the work bahkct on
the table.
Tho boy was foolish enough TO believe
the wicked jumpingiack.. - be banded
over the box Of candy, and thcn,-oh' nor,
riblc!-hc went 10 the crib n painted
red stripes aud yellow buttons al over
poor little Bertha, and having Zone mat
he painted one Of her beautiful blu eyes
ttho left oncl an awful purple, ihen ~
tied a string TO her and climbed VI ule
chimney again. ,
ioLe. |Now, 4 have got even with That
child" aid he; "phc won't make mo
inmn no. NOT for another year at least
Tho Httip blue mouse laughed, too. Oi
course she got al the candy, ~ she nie
ap much oil that for the next week hcr
doctor did rothing but give her rarcsnrc,
|, and ho told her that II IN The mtnhtiuio
I she tasted amy cheese Il would be tia
death NJ her surel
As for Bertha, she got the Won't OF i, 81
: course. Tor there she wp-M painted ~
. like a jumping jack, with a big purple lci'
F. eye. She couldn't speak or do anything
/. else unless somebody pulled tho string.
and she had to stay that way q whole year,
until santa Claus came aruund himself
and fixed things. When Sguta Claus did
como ho took the evil ju~mpiugjack away
with him aud changed him into a nut
cracker. 80 nov tie evil iumping-jncl
has 10 work harder than ever bciurvi aut
nobody il q bit sorry, I'm certain.
But the old clock sings ''uck-iock, tick
took lust the same NJ before, and one,
when sat l~isicningto this S'mngc music
which will go on long after you and | ar
done with Christmas times. the old clocl
paused In tssolcmn singing 10 tell ne th,
story I have Just told you. anil the ol,
clock knows many other pretty stories
which | may sometime repeat.
EuUENE fIEip.
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